Working Together: The Paloma-Wellesley Guide To Participatory Program Evaluation

The need for rigorous program evaluation in the non-profit sector continues to grow as agencies and service providers strive to meet the needs of accountability to funders and clients about effective use of resources and improving program excellence and outcomes. Participatory Program Evaluation (PPE) is …

Inclusionary housing plan would reduce TO's commuting crisis

The Toronto Board of Trade’s 2010 prosperity report card underlines the costs of automobile commuting in Toronto. TO comes dead last in TBOT’s global survey of 19 cities on commuting time, with Torontonians stuck in traffic an average of 80 minutes versus world-leader Barcelona at …

Recovery Through The Lens Of Cultural Diversity

Principal Organizations: Community Resource Connections of Toronto, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Investigators: Nora Jacobson, Deqa Farah and Cultural Diversity Community of Practice Participants: Mental health service users and family members in the Caribbean, Somali, and Tamil communities in Toronto Research Methods: Focus groups …

National housing bill heading back to Commons for third reading

Bill C-304, draft legislation to create a national housing plan for Canada, has passed through committee and is heading back to the Commons for third and final reading. The bill, which has already passed first and second reading and been amended, requires the federal government …

Ontario income assistance changes will make it harder to get healthy, nutritious food

About 162,000 Ontarians with special nutrition needs were told in yesterday’s Ontario budget that their special diet allowance is being cancelled and will be replaced, at some point, with an unspecified new mechanism. Access to nutritious food is one of the most important fundamentals for …

Ontario budget 2010 wrap-up: Plenty of criticism from different groups

Less than 24 hours after it was released, Ontario’s 2010 provincial budget has been generating a significant amount of criticism. Economist Hugh Mackenzie of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says that the budget “misses the point on economic reform”, putting deficit reduction ahead of …

Ontario releases cautious 2010 budget

The Ontario government’s 2010 provincial budget sets out a cautious fiscal plan for the coming year. In our 2010 pre-budget submission, the Wellesley Institute encouraged Ontario to invest in equity and innovation to ensure a healthy future. Here is a first glimpse at the Ontario …

Social infrastructure eroding across Canada; cities being forced to paper the gaps

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has released its latest review of the quality of life in Canada’s large cities. Mending Canada’s Frayed Social Safety Net: The Role of Municipal Governments demonstrates that eroding social infrastructure in the large communities where most of Canada’s population lives is …

Hate Crimes And Homelessness: Metropolis Presentation Slides

At the national Metropolis conference in Montreal on March 20, 2010, Michael Shapcott joined a panel of experts to talk about hate crimes in Canada. His presentation focused on hate crimes and homelessness, taking lessons from from the homicide of Paul Croutch in 2005.

National housing act bill goes for HUMA review on Monday

Bill C-304, the private members’ bill from MP Libby Davies to create a much-needed national housing act for Canada, will get clause-by-clause review at the Commons’ HUMA committee on Monday afternoon. A number of groups, including the Wellesley Institute, have been pressing for amendments to …